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thinking to prepare for themselves an apology for their sins by slandering the commands given to us as impossible.

What then do we say? That while the Apostle looks to other things, and tries to lift our souls from the ground to a height, and to transfer them to the heavenly commonwealth, those who do not attain to the magnanimity of the lawgiver, wallowing around earth and flesh, like worms around mud, in the passions of the body, demand the possibility of the 31.221 apostolic ordinances. But he summons to rejoice always not just anyone, but one such as he himself was, no longer living in the flesh, but having Christ living in him, as the connection to the highest of goods in no way admits the fellow-feeling from the troubles of the flesh. But even if the flesh is cut, the dissolution of continuity remains in the affected part of the body, the transmission of what is painful not being able to penetrate to the intellectual part of the soul. For if we have put to death the members that are upon the earth, according to the instructions of the Apostle, and carried about in the body the dying of Jesus, necessarily the blow from the deadened body will not reach the soul that is released from its connection. And dishonors and losses, and deaths of kindred will not ascend to the mind, nor will they cast down the loftiness of the soul to sympathy with things here. For if those who have fallen into difficulties think the same things as the virtuous man, they will not cause grief to another, since they themselves do not bear what happens grievously; but if they live according to the flesh, not even so will they grieve, but will be judged pitiful, not so much for their circumstances, as for not choosing what is right. And in general, a soul, once bound to the desire for the Creator, and accustomed to be brightened by the beauties there, will not change its exceeding joy and cheerfulness because of the manifold change of fleshly passions; but will make the things that are grievous to others an addition of gladness.

Such was the Apostle, taking pleasure in weaknesses, in afflictions, in persecutions, in necessities, making his wants his boastings; in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness, in persecutions and distresses, over which others are impatient and despair of life, in these he himself rejoiced. Those therefore who are uninstructed in the apostolic mind, and do not understand that he calls us to the evangelical life, dare to accuse Paul, as one who prescribes impossible things for us. But indeed, let them be taught how many reasons for rejoicing are set before us through the great gift of God. We were brought into being, not being; we were made in the image of the creator; we have mind and reason completing our nature, through which we have known God. And skillfully learning the beauties of creation, through them, as if through certain letters, we read the great 31.224 providence and wisdom of God concerning all things. We are able to distinguish between good and the worse; we have been taught by nature itself the choice of what is expedient and the avoidance of what is harmful. Estranged from God through sin, we have been called back again to intimacy, delivered from dishonorable slavery by the blood of the Only-Begotten. Hopes of resurrection, enjoyment of angelic goods, the kingdom in heaven, the good things in the promises, and surpassing the power of thought and word. How can one not think these things to be sufficient causes for unceasing joy and continual gladness, but instead suppose that the man who pampers his belly, and is lulled by flutes, and lies sprawled and snoring on a soft couch, that this man lives a life worthy of joy? But I would say that for these men it is fitting to be lamented by those who have understanding; but to bless those who, in hope of the age to come, endure the present life, and exchange present things for eternal things, even if those united with God live in a flame, as

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ἀπολογίαν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἑαυτοῖς εὐτρεπίζειν ἡγούμενοι τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς διατεταγμένοις ἡμῖν, ὡς ἀδυνάτοις, διαβολήν.

Τί οὖν φαμεν; Ὅτι, πρὸς ἕτερα βλέποντος τοῦ Ἀποστόλου, καὶ τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν πειρωμένου χαμόθεν πρὸς ὕψος μετεωρίζειν, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ οὐράνιον μετατιθέναι πολίτευμα, οἱ μὴ ἐφικνούμενοι τῆς μεγαλονοίας τοῦ νομοθέτου, περὶ γῆν καὶ σάρκας, ὡς περὶ τέλμα σκώληκες, ἰλυσπώ μενοι ἐν τοῖς τοῦ σώματος πάθεσι, τὸ δυνατὸν τῶν 31.221 ἀποστολικῶν διατάξεων ἀπαιτοῦσιν. Ὁ δὲ προκα λεῖται εἰς τὸ πάντοτε χαίρειν οὐχὶ τὸν τυχόντα, ἀλλὰ τὸν οἷος αὐτὸς ἦν, οὐκέτι ζῶν ἐν σαρκὶ, ἀλλὰ ζῶντα ἔχων ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸν Χριστὸν, ὡς τῆς πρὸς τὸ ἀκρότατον τῶν ἀγαθῶν συναφείας μηδαμῶς τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ὀχληρῶν τῆς σαρκὸς συμπάθειαν δεχομένης. Ἀλλὰ κἂν διακόπτηται ἡ σὰρξ, ἡ τῆς συνεχείας διάλυσις ἐναπομένει τῷ πεπονθότι τοῦ σώματος μέρει, τῆς διαδόσεως τοῦ λυποῦντος οὐ δυναμέ νης διικνεῖσθαι πρὸς τὸ νοερὸν τῆς ψυχῆς. Εἰ γὰρ ἐνεκρώσαμεν τὰ μέλη τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, κατὰ τὰς ὑποθήκας τοῦ Ἀποστόλου, καὶ τὴν νέκρωσιν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματι περιεφέρομεν, ἀναγκαίως ἡ ἀπὸ τοῦ νενεκρωμένου σώματος πληγὴ πρὸς τὴν ἀπολελυμένην τῆς συναφείας αὐτοῦ ψυχὴν οὐ χωρή σει. Ἀτιμίαι δὲ καὶ ζημίαι, καὶ οἰκείων θάνατοι οὐκ ἀναβήσονται πρὸς τὸν νοῦν, οὐδὲ καταστρέψουσι τὸ ὑψηλὸν τῆς ψυχῆς πρὸς τὴν ὧδε συμπάθειαν. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ τὰ αὐτὰ φρονοῦσι τῷ σπουδαίῳ οἱ ταῖς δυσκολίαις περιπεσόντες, οὐ παρέξουσι λύπας ἑτέρῳ, οἵ γε μηδ' αὐτοὶ λυπηρῶς διαφέροντες τὰ συμπί πτοντα· εἰ δὲ κατὰ σάρκα ζῶσιν, οὐδ' οὕτω λυπή σουσιν, ἀλλ' ἐλεεινοὶ κριθήσονται, οὐ τῶν περι στάσεων μᾶλλον, ἢ τοῦ μὴ προαιρεῖσθαι τὰ δέοντα. Ὅλως δὲ ψυχὴ, ἡ ἅπαξ προσδεθεῖσα τῷ πόθῳ τοῦ Κτίσαντος, καὶ τοῖς ἐκεῖ κάλλεσιν ἐνειθισμένη φαιδρύνεσθαι, τὸ περιχαρὲς αὐτῆς καὶ εὔθυμον ὑπὸ τῆς ποικίλης μεταπτώσεως τῶν σαρκικῶν παθημά των οὐ μεταβαλεῖ· ἀλλὰ τὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις λυπηρὰ προσ θήκην εὐφροσύνης ποιήσεται.

Οἷος ἦν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, εὐδοκῶν ἐν ἀσθενείαις, ἐν θλίψεσιν, ἐν διωγμοῖς, ἐν ἀνάγκαις, καυχήματα ἑαυτοῦ τὰς ἐνδείας ποιούμενος· ἐν λιμῷ καὶ δίψει, ἐν ψύχει καὶ γυμνότητι, ἐν διω γμοῖς καὶ στενοχωρίαις, ἐφ' οἷς ἄλλοι δυσανα σχετοῦσι καὶ πρὸς τὸν βίον ἀπαγορεύουσιν, ἐπὶ τού τοις αὐτὸς ἀγαλλιώμενος. Οἱ τοίνυν ἀπαιδεύτως ἔχοντες τῆς ἀποστολικῆς διανοίας, καὶ μὴ συνιέντες, ὅτι πρὸς τὴν εὐαγγελικὴν ἡμᾶς προσκαλεῖται ζωὴν, τολμῶσι κατηγορεῖν τοῦ Παύλου, ὡς ἀδύνατα ἡμῖν διορίζοντος. Ἀλλὰ μὴν διδασκέσθωσαν ὅσαι τοῦ χαίρειν εὐλόγως αἱ ἀφορμαὶ διὰ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ μεγαλοδωρεᾶς ἡμῖν πρόκεινται. Παρήχθημεν εἰς τὸ εἶναι, μὴ ὄντες· κατ' εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος ἐγενήθημεν· νοῦν καὶ λόγον συμπληροῦντα ἡμῶν τὴν φύσιν ἔχομεν, δι' οὗ Θεὸν ἐγνωρίσαμεν. Καὶ τὰ κάλλη τῆς κτίσεως ἐν τέχνως καταμανθάνοντες, δι' αὐτῶν, οἱονεὶ διὰ γραμ μάτων τινῶν, τὴν μεγάλην τοῦ Θεοῦ περὶ πάντα 31.224 πρόνοιαν καὶ σοφίαν ἀναγινώσκομεν. ∆ιακριτικοί ἐσμεν ἀγαθοῦ καὶ τοῦ χείρονος· ἐκλογὴν τοῦ συμφέροντος καὶ ἀποστροφὴν τοῦ βλαβεροῦ ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς φύσεως δεδιδάγμεθα. Ἀλλοτριωθέντες Θεοῦ διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, πάλιν εἰς τὴν οἰκειότητα ἀνεκλήθημεν, τῷ αἵματι τοῦ Μονογενοῦς ἐκ τῆς ἀτίμου δουλείας ἐξαιρεθέντες. Ἀναστάσεως ἐλπίδες, ἀγγελικῶν ἀγα θῶν ἀπολαύσεις, ἡ ἐν οὐρανοῖς βασιλεία, τὰ ἐν ἐπαγ γελίαις ἀγαθὰ, καὶ διανοίας καὶ λόγου δύναμιν ὑπερ βαίνοντα. Πῶς οὐχὶ ταῦτα προσήκει χαρᾶς ἀλήκτου καὶ εὐφροσύνης διηνεκοῦς ἐξαρκεῖν νομίζειν αἴτια, ἀλλ' οἴεσθαι τὸν γαστριζόμενον, καὶ καταυλούμενον, καὶ ἐπὶ μαλακῆς κοίτης ἀνατετραμμένον καὶ ῥέγχοντα, τοῦτον ἀξίως χαρᾶς διαζῇν; Ἐγὼ δὲ τούτοις μὲν τὸ θρηνεῖσθαι φαίην ἂν πρέπειν παρὰ τῶν νοῦν ἐχόντων· μακαρίζειν δὲ τοὺς ἐπ' ἐλπίδι τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος τὴν παροῦσαν ζωὴν διαφέροντας, καὶ τὰ παρόντα τῶν αἰωνίων ἀμειβομένους, κἂν ἐν φλογὶ διάγωσιν οἱ Θεῷ συνημμένοι, ὡς